


Gold

by HillaryLeonor



Category: Political RPF, Political RPF - US 20th c., Political RPF - US 21st c.
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, figure skating
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-20
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-08-26 14:30:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16683379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HillaryLeonor/pseuds/HillaryLeonor
Summary: Reeling from a heart break, Hillary picks up the pieces and decides to compete without her partner, Bill, who refused her love. Four years later, their paths cross again, she a champion singles skater and he a figure skating coach. Tensions will arise and passions will be stirred. With Bill being a distraction from her goal of winning a second Olympic gold, Hillary tries to push him away, but she can'tFigure skating AU. Set in 2010.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts), [Tealsky27](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tealsky27/gifts).



> I am back from vacation and I had a rough patch recentlt so I wrote this to blow some steam. Don't worry, my other fics are still active. I am not abandoning anything :)

Bill and Hillary picked up their pace, ending minutes of calm and rest. They had been saving their energy for this. They had been waiting their whole lives for this, really. Their eyes were laser focused on the spot on the ice where they practiced their move, ignoring the music of their routine. Other than sound of Scheherazade playing in the background, the arena was quiet. They silence was nerve-wrecking. Everyone, including Bill and Hillary, was anxious.

Blood pounding on their heads, Bill and Hillary went for it. With the speed of light, Bill held Hillary's waist and threw her in the air as she jumped from the ice using her right leg. She twirled magnificently in the air, like a dancer in the sky, yet she was spinning so fast that the landing was so powerful.

They had just performed a throw Triple Axel.

The first of its kind in a competition, let alone the Olympics.

They had just made history.

Their joy was palpable as they skated with renewed spirit. They skated faster than before, and their movements were much more alive. When they did their step sequence, they almost looked like they were floating on air. And in a way, they were. They were on cloud nine. They just landed an incredibly difficult jump and they skating to victory.

The crowd clapped and chanted wildly to their steps. After all, the worst was over. They completed their jumps and elements with flying colors. All that was left was a combination spin before they would take their Olympic bow. With only twenty seconds left in their routine, Bill pulled Hillary into a tight knit and they pushed their bodies forward so that they are in a camel position, spinning so fast yet so light. They held each other tightly for a while until they switched positions, this time sitting on one foot where Bill was holding Hillary while she stretched her one arm and leg beautifully, creating a spinning masterpiece. And then finally, they stood up, him still holding her and she pulling her leg up her head into a beautiful teardrop position. The crowd went nuts even before their music ended, and by the time it did, both Bill and Hillary were already crying, their foreheads touching in their final pose.

Gold. They could feel it. The Gold was theirs. Years of hard work, tears and sacrifice all boiled down to this moment. Their heads and hearts were pounding, trying to outdo each other.

"We did it, Hilly. We did it," Bill whispered to her.

"Yeah," she replied, panting. "We did it, together."

After what seemed like a minute, just holding each other in front of thousands in the Olympic arena and millions of TV viewers, they finally broke apart to wave to their adoring fans. Plushies were thrown at them from every direction. Banners of "Billary for the Gold" and "Give them Hill" swayed from every corner of the arena. The crowd loved them, and they loved them back.

Still holding hands, Bill and Hillary skated to the edge of the rink and got off the ice. Their coaches, John Podesta and Donna Shalala, welcomed them with arms wide open.

"My champions," said Donna, hugging both Bill and Hillary tightly. "My Olympic champions."

"You did great there," added John. "You made me so damn proud."

The two athletes were still too emotional to speak, so all of them went to the kiss and cry area to wait for their scores.

The crowd was more rowdy than before. Since Bill and Hillary were the last performers, everybody was extra anxious for the results. The current leaders, Oxana Zoueva and Dominik Voronov from Russia, were sitting 3 points behind Bill and Hillary after the short program. After the free skate, they needed 156.78 points to overtake the Russians. It was a daunting task for them, since nobody had ever scored 156 in an international competition, let alone the Olympics.

But they kept the faith.

A cool female voice spoke on the PA, "Scores please for Hillary Rodham and Bill Clinton. Scores please for Hillary Rodham and Bill Clinton."

In the midst of the chaos around them, Bill held Hillary's hand tighter, just as he always had since the first time they competed when she was six and he was seven.

A small TV screen in the kiss and cry area suddenly changed. Their scores were being flashed now. Bill and Hillary's minds went blank, but despite the failure of their brains, they still had a working brain cell left to comprehend that the earned 162.89 points.

They overtook the Russians.

They broke the world record.

They captured the gold.

Once the number properly registered in their brains, the emotions start pouring in. Bill, not caring about what everybody else might say, lifted Hillary in her waist and twirled her around before hugging her tightly, almost crushing her in his embrace. She, on the other hand, couldn't stop crying. Time became meaningless. They won the gold. The fucking Olympic gold. Nothing else mattered.

A blur of congratulatory greetings, hugs and handshakes came and go, but they never let go of each other. Never. Once their names were called for the medal ceremony, they waved to the crowd, still hand-in-hand, and stepped up to the highest level of the podium. The President of the International Skating Union and an Olympic committeemember put their gold medals over their heads and into their necks. Posing for the cameras, Bill and Hillary bit their medals to show that these were real and not chocolate ones. The crowd loved them so much.

As they waved to roaring audience, Hillary glanced at a euphoric Bill. She smiled to herself. She asked for a sign, and she got it.

_Tonight_ , she thought, _I will tell him tonight._

The victory party for Bill and Hillary was held in their Olympic cabin and  lasted all night long and into the wee hours of the morning. Surprisingly, the two were still running on adrenaline and they were still as energetic as ever. But despite the high energy levels, that didn't mean they were not feeling the emotional toll. At least one of them did, and he went outside their cabin for some fresh air.

Hillary noticed that her partner was absent from the festivities so she decided to look for him. As she had suspected, he was outside, on his own, nursing a can of Coke.

She thought he looked so handsome staring at the stars. She took a breath to calm her nerves, hoping that nobody would interrupt them.

"My, my. What does a newly minted Olympic champ do outside all by himself?" Hillary asked in a teasing tone.

"Hey," Bill patted the spot next to him. He was watching the stars. He noticed how beautiful they were. They reminded him of Hillary's eyes.

"So, what are you doing here? The party's still on and everybody is missing you," she said, standing close to him.

"I just want to be all by myself," he said. "Being with other people is exhausting."

"Should I leave then," she said, half-serious.

"No, no. Stay with me. You're not other people," he replied.

Hillary's heart raced faster. She was encouraged by his invitation.

"So," she said, "we finally did it. Our dream."

"Yeah. I still can't believe that this is happening," he replied. "I've wanted this for so long."

"Me too. All of our hard work paid off," she said, fondly recalling their ups and downs in her mind.

"All because I saw you skating in Chicago ten years ago," Bill said. "Back then, you're already a champ."

"Oh stop it," she said, blushing. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"But you inspired me to do figure skating," he corrected. "You looked so pretty."

"Thanks." With how way things are going, Hillary was prettyp sure that he was feeling the same way, and so her hesitations were gone.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Bill asked, chuckling and looking handsome as ever.

Hillary proverbially clutched her heart as she went for it.

"Nothing," she lied, smiling.

"I know you. You are thinking hard right now. Tell me what you think.

_Okay_ , she thought. _Here goes_.

"What?" Hillary giggled.

"You're not answering my question," Bill laughed. "Tell me what you're thinking."

Hillary swallowed, and Bill didn't notice a thing.

"We've been friends since the day we met," she said.

"That"s true," he said, "and every day, I am glad that I met you."

Hillary's heart swelled at his remark. "I am glad that you're in my life too "

"Thank you," he said. "We're unstoppable together."

"Yeah we are."

"There's nothing we can't do, right?"

At this time, Hillary was staring at Bill. He seemed to have noticed.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he said, amused.

She finally went for it.

"You're my best friend, Bill," she said. "You are the person I trust the most."

"Yeah I am."

"But after years being at your side, I don't think I want to be just your best friend," she said, holding his hand, "I want more."

A million things entered Bill's head. He wasn't sure if Hillary said that he thought he said, but her pleading look told him she did.

"Uhm," Bill, usually articulate , suddenly couldn't explain what he felt. But what was clear was that he wasn't ready to reciprocate her feelings.

"I love you, Bill," she, sensing his hesitation, reinforced her earlier declaration. "I always have. I think I loved you the moment I met you."

"Hilly," Bill couldn't find the words to express himself. How could he tell her he couldn't return her love without breaking her heart?

Hillary saw the struggle in his face, and she took at as a writing on the wall. What she thought was a home run turned out to be an epic fail. Her heart was wrong. She trusted her heart, and it led her to the wrong path.

"I'm sorry," Hillary excused herself tearfully and walked back inside their cabin. Bill called her back but she didn't respond. She kept walking away from him.

Now it was Bill's turn to have his heart broken. Being the person to break his Hilly's heart shattered to a million pieces. And he wasn't sure he could mend her heart together again.


	2. Three Years Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some short briefer of where are our lovers at in 2009. Some sexual tension too!

_Three and a half years later_

Hillary removed her blade covers and fixed her jacket before entering the ice. Skating over freshly zamboni'd ice, Hillary skated as fast as she could for her warm-ups. She tried a double axel for starters, and she landed beautifully. She then did a slow version of her step sequence, and she thought she did well.  Some spins here and some spirals there, Hillary was slowly priming for her technical drills. As instructed by her coach, John McCain, today, she would be perfecting her short program.

Speaking of her coach, John McCain had just arrived at the rink. He just had a phone call with an official of US Figure Skating.

"Sorry, I was late," John apologized.

"It's okay," Hillary screamed from the ice. "I was just doing some drills."

"Good," John said approvingly. "Are you ready for the run through now?"

Hillary nodded. "Yeah. Play the music."

"Alright," said John. "Music, please. Short program," John shouted to the technical booth.

Hillary did her opening pose: her right foot at the back, tiptoed, and her arms stretched towards the sky. "East of Eden," by Lee Holdridge began to play, and Hillary's danced to the music. She looked light as a feather, as she should have been. She was light on her feet, but each stroke in the ice was filled with speed. It was very difficult to be as fast as she was in the ice, but somehow, she made it look so easy. She positioned herself for her opening jump. She was approaching the end of the rink. She turned before stretching her leg backward and her body forward. Her right foot picked the ice before launching herself in the air, twirling three times before landing and then propelling herself again and turning three times more and then finally landing into a beautiful butterfly-like position.

Hillary heard her coach clap from the boards and shout "Textbook!" She was satisfied with her attempt.

A combination spin came next. She pulled herself into a beautiful camel position, her arms accentuating her already gorgeous lines. She then switched foot and lowered herself into a sitting position. And then, she finally switched feet again and this time, she pulled herself up with her leg behind her head, forming a letter I. Again, John clapped and let out an enthusiastic "Whoo!" from the sidelines.

"Good job, Hill" said John.

Hillary was very encouraged by her practice. She did the rest of her program - a double axel, a Biellman spiral, a flying sit spin, a circular steo sequence and finally, a Triple Flip - with amazing execution. Her artistry was incomparable too. Her speed and the softness of her movements were delightful to watch. The bystanders in the rink couldn't help but give Hillary a standing ovation when she finished her program.

Nobody clapped harder than John.

"Excellent," remarked John as he handed her a water bottle. "Perfect. You'd go great for tomorrow. Nobody comes close."

"That's because the Russian lady who's in the competition is only ranked 6th in their country," Hillary said. "The top tier ones aren't here."

"Well, thank your lucky stars they aren't. Increases your chances to make it to the Grand Prix Final. And you need the experience."

"Point taken. But I still feel Skate America is too easy for me," Hillary replied.

"For you, it is. But US Figure Skating arranged it that way. They wanted the best of the best in the US field in there. Generates high TV viewership. There's a reason why NBC Sports loves Skate America so much. You have been competing in this circuit for years. You should have known the drill by now."

"I know, I know. I just really don't care much about the exposure."

"More exposure, more sponsors. And the sponsors fund your team of coaches and choreographers. Remember that," said John.

"I just find it weird the Exxon Valdez logo is in the USFSA jacket. I mean, what do they even do with figure skating?!"

"Enough of the blabber," John scolded her. "We're losing focus now. We need to do more drills today. Two more perfect run-throughs. Understood?"

Hillary nodded and she went back to the ice.

Ten miles away, Bill was shouting his critiques to Tipper and Al, who were also doing their run-throughs. The pair wasn't at the skillset Bill liked them to be at this point in the Olympic season, but for tomorrow's Skate America, they would do, especially that their rival Chinese pair had withdrawn due to injury.

"Faster, faster," Bill screamed from the boards. "Guys, you know the drill. Hit your triple twists with conviction! You're USA's best pair, for crying out loud!"

Tipper and Al heeded their coaches’ words. With an unparalleled conviction, the pair entered into their triple twists brimming with confidence. Al lifted Tipper and threw her in the air, spiraling beautifully three times before being caught by her partner and landing beautifully in the ice. Bill let out an ecstatic applause and a fist pump.

"Great job!" he shouted. "Now, final combination spin now. Don't get too excited or you may lose those spins. We don't want a spin downgrade at the end of the program."

For their final element, they chose a combination spin. Bill was anxiously counting each turn to make sure that the pair didn't underrotate to meet the full Level 4 spin, the highest level and most difficult spin category. In a crowded pairs field, a small mistake can cost them a medal. But in an Olympic year, there was no room for errors, and Bill made sure that this fact was instilled in his students' heads.

When the program ended, Tipper and Al felt great, and so did Bill. The exhausted skated to the sidelines for some water and critiques from Bill.

"What can I say," said Bill as he handed the two their water. "It was brilliant! Exactly what you need to deliver tomorrow."

"Thanks, Coach," said Tipper. "I'm glad we pulled it off."

"Yeah," Al panted. "Now I'm feeling a lot better for tomorrow."

"That's right. You know you can pull it off. You just need to get out of your heads," said Bill. "Rest up now and hit the showers. Our practice time is now over."

"I see Inoue and Baldwin," remarked Tipper before she left.

Bill let out a frustrated grunt, and Al knew all too well what that was.

Bill and Al used to be rivals despite being friends all their lives. Al and Tipper took silver at the 2006 US Championships while he and Hillary took the US title and the Olympic gold. After he and Hillary parted ways, Bill tried to find another partner. He did so in Blanche Lincoln. His first year of skating without Hillary was understandably rough, as Hillary was his first and only skating partner before then. However, Bill realized that he had a problem when he and Blanche kept losing competitions for two years so Blanche decided to look for a new partner. Bill, now partnerless, was running out of time to qualify himself for the 2010 Olympics. In a stroke of luck, Al and Tipper parted ways with their coach, so the former decided to offer the coaching gig to Bill. Facing the harsh reality that he could never compete again, Bill accepted the job, and he has been coaching the pair since.

Bill's internal frustration with Rena Inoue and John Baldwin had nothing to do with them, and everything to do with him. It began in 2008 when Baldwin proposed to Inoue right after they finished their free skate at the US Championships. Bill was at the stands as Al and Tipper's coach and Hillary was watching as a spectator. Bill was prepping Al and Tipper when he noticed that the crowd squealed. He looked at the ice and saw Baldwin on one knee. He wouldn't have given another damn if he didn't see Hillary on the other side of the arena, fighting her tears. Suddenly, guilt consumed him, and his heart was broken into two. He didn't know if she had seen him, but she immediately ran away.

He wanted to tell her that he shouldn't be responsible for what she felt for him. 

Actually, he needed to tell that more to himself than her.   

He couldn't chase her because he had Tipper and Al to focus on, but for the sake of clearing his conscience, he decided to have a talk with Hillary after the pairs event. But she made herself scarce. She had chosen not to train at the official practice rink. Even at the ladies’ event, she made sure Bill couldn't talk to her alone. She was always with brother Tony and she never left his side. Bill thought she looked shaken, but even then, she won the US title for the first time.

Al knew Bill was subconsciously blaming himself for the end of his and Hillary's partnership even though  Hillary forcefully denied that. She told Bill that now she had won the gold with him, she wanted to fulfill her original dream of becoming a champion in ladies' singles. Bill couldn't refute that, because that was exactly what Hillary said when their first met in a public ice skating rink in Chicago. He saw her skating and was mesmerized by her beauty. She noticed that he was staring at her and she asked for his name. He forgot his damn name and for a full hour, he couldn't recall what his name was, so Hillary called him, "Little Boy." She pulled him into the ice to skate, and they had so much fun together. Finally, Bill was able to figure out what he was called, and Hillary thought his name was beautiful. From that day on, Bill wanted to skate, especially with her. And the rest, they say, was history.

"For the last time," said Bill, "It's not me. Okay?"

"Nobody says that, even Hillary. It's only you," teased Al.

"So why are you looking at me like it's my fault?" asked Bill defensively.

"I am not," said Al, walking towards the showers. "You're paranoid, buddy."

Bill let out a frustrated sigh as followed Al to the showers. "Why is it that Hillary is avoiding me since 2008?"

"Uhm, she doesn't," Al corrected him. "You see her every once in a while. She talks to you."

"Yeah, but not alone. Not since she told me she wanted to skate in singles."

"Why would she want to talk to you alone? You're not her boyfriend!" admonished Al, who was already extracting his gym bag from his locker.

"I know that! But can't we just talk, like friends?"

"Talk, and then you'll blab how it's not your fault? Seriously, buddy. Either put up or shut up."

Bill squinted. "What do you mean?"

"Shut up because it drives me crazy or fucking date her already because ten years of intimacy does that to a person. It's not abnormal to develop feelings for a person if you've seen each other for ten straight years."

"But I don't," Bill denied.

"So stop feeling guilty and move on already," screamed Al from the showers.

"But I need to tell her that I am not the cause of her misery. Or whatever it is!"

"Hillary knows that, and he doesn't blame you for it. How many times do I have to make myself clear?!"

"Until Hillary gets the message!"

"Hillary does get the message! It's you who don't!"

"Then why is she crying when Baldwin proposed?!"

"She is allowed to feel bad, you asshole!"

Bill was increasingly getting annoyed by this conversation. Seeing that this was going nowhere, he begrudgingly said goodbye to Al and drove straight to his hotel.

He just prayed he brought his Vaseline with him. There's nothing that a good jerk off couldn't ease.


	3. Skate America

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for updating just now -_- Who knew Christmas was stressful?

Hillary removed the covers of her ice-skating blade for the warm-up session. Already in her light blue sparkling spandex, she looked absolutely beautiful. She handed the rubber covers to her coach, John, and entered the ice. Once she did so, the expectant Skate America crowd applauded her. There were five other girls who were with her in the ice, including Angela Merkel of Germany and Park Gyeun-He of Korea. 

Hillary focused her gaze on a spot on the other end of the rink. She would attempt a triple lutz-triple loop combination, her opening jump for her short program. Her vision suddenly tunneled, and everything else became a blur. She picked up her speed, and when she was in the middle of the ice, she turned her body against the boards, preparing for her jump entry. She extended her free leg and with great power, she pulled herself up in the air, twirling beautifully, and then landed right on target. She pulled herself up again for the second triple. Everybody thought she was going to make it, but she overrotated by a quarter turn. Her landing was wobbly, and her leg couldn't save her jump. Eventually, she fell. 

There was an audible "Awwwww" from the audience. The mostly American crowd was disappointed for their champion. 

Hillary let out a frustrated sigh. This wasn't supposed to happen. She was in a great shape until she came across Bill in the hallway and he said hi. She barely nodded. He looked like he was about to say something else, but she walked as fast as her legs could carry her. From what she saw, he looked like he had something important to say. Whatever it was, Hillary decided she didn't want to hear it.

Until a few seconds later, when she ached to hear what he had to say.

Since then, she couldn't think of anything else but Bill, and what he was supposed to tell her. But alas, the pairs event was over, and he and Tipper and Al had gone back to the hotel. She was left with the twisting feeling in her stomach.  

She couldn't compete in a state like this. 

Apparently, John noticed her how much of a wreck she was. 

"Focus, Hillary. Focus!" shouted John from the sidelines. 

After a few rounds, Hillary was ready to take a shot again. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that Bill was an asshole for leading her on and for making her believe that he had feelings for her too. She increased her speed again and came into her jump as flawless as she could. And this time, she was able to land the jump perfectly, prompting a smile on her face and a thunderous applause from the audience. Hillary turned to John, who was looking very satisfied. Hillary was pleased with herself. She found her groove again. She almost lost it because of Bill. She would not let him take that away again.

* * *

"Alright, Mama. I'll call you later. Bye." 

Bill threw his phone on his bed, removed his shoes and socks and unceremoniously dumped them somewhere in his hotel room. 

His brain and chest were still pounding from the adrenaline rush from earlier's short program, where Al and Tipper barely held on to their throw triple loop and to first place. Their rivals, the Chinese, were certainly a threat, but they were no match against the Americans when it came to artistry and presentation. Bill was thankful that the Chinese were rigid as rocks, but their technical skills were certainly worrisome.

Bill, Tipper and Al decided to call it a day and went to their individual hotel rooms. They would take some rest and join each other for dinner tonight. Tomorrow would be a free day for practice as the pairs free skate would be the day after. Bill was thankful for the short break from competition.

Bill, his legs spread open on his bed, turned the TV on and flipped the channel to ESPN, which was broadcasting the ladies’ competition live (NBC was to air the entire thing on primetime). He saw that the first group was already done, and the final group was already warming up. The final group, which consisted of the more elite skaters, included Hillary. His quick eyes caught her despite her breakneck speed on the ice. Based on his observation, she seemed to be attempting a triple lutz-triple toe loop. A risky move, he thought. Successfully doing so, without edge errors or falls, would credit a huge technical mark. On the other hand, it could mean a large deduction. His trained eyes focused on her, and subconsciously, his heart followed suit. He squinted his eyes and remained solely on her. When she was finally on the air, he thought he was seeing an angel. But that angel seemed to have fallen from grace when Hillary wobbled her landing and eventually fell on the ice.

Bill slapped the mattress with his hand frustratingly, muttering "Get up, get up, get up" under his breath. Hillary did so. She dusted off the small ice particles that latched on to her spandex and sped up again. She did a couple of moves - spins, spirals and step sequences - before she appeared to attempt the combination jump again. Bill unknowingly gripped his sheets when Hillary struck her toe pick and launched herself into the air. She was as beautiful as ever, her twirls textbook. This time, her landing was much more stable and going into the second jump, she had much more speed and confidence. She landed her second jump beautifully, and Bill heard the crowd erupt into an applause.

Bill let out a satisfied clap. He was content to see her skate. No. He was happy to see her skate. He had never told anyone about this but seeing her on the ice was one of his simple joys. He could just watch her all day. And competing with her for over the decade meant he missed a good chunk of that time seeing her in action. Yes, he could see her up close, but some things are best viewed from afar, and that included Hillary's skating.   

The ESPN commentator had announced that the second group's short program would begin in a while. He took the break to take a short shower. After all, Hillary was supposed to skate last. He wouldn't mind missing the performance of the other girls.

* * *

The energy inside the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena where Skate America was being held was electric. Everybody was excited and elated, especially the American crowd after Hillary's short program score was posted. 72.89. Her personal best.  

Hillary was relieved during the first few seconds of her program that she didn't botch the triple-triple jump. After that, everything else went smoothly.  Her coach was very pleased with all of her technical elements: her spins, spirals and step sequence. 

She was met with a flurry of congratulations from her co-Team USA athletes, coaches and members of US Figure Skating. Colleagues from other countries also greeted her after her short program. Her dear friend, Angela Merkel of Germany, who had finished third after the segment, was particularly gracious.

"Oh, I missed you so much, Hillary," said Angela as she hugged her, her German accent heavy. "It's been so long since Los Angeles." Los Angeles was the site of the last World Championships where Hillary got her first singles world title.

"Same here, Angela. You did good at the short," Hillary complimented her friend.

"Thanks. I've been working on my triple-triples," Angela replied.

"I've noticed. You've improved a lot, and I am so happy for you," Hillary said with great affection. She hung her arm over her friend's shoulder as they walked side-by-side to the lockers. "I wish we can go out sometime."

"Awww, I hope so too," Angela said disappointedly. "But my coach wanted us to get out the first flight back to Germany. I'm doing Cup of China in two weeks."

"Wow, your next competition is so soon. I got-"

"Trophee Eric Bompard, yes," Angela finished for her. "I envy you. You got France! And Paris too!"

"Yeah. But I wish I'll have time to roam around. Bompard's so close to the Grand Prix Final," sighed Hillary.

The Grand Prix Final ends the series of international competition. Only six skaters per discipline can compete in the Final. It was widely seen as a preview to the upcoming Olympic Games.

"I know. But if we make it to the Final, let's have a few days off, shall we?" Angela tried to lighten the situation.

"Oh God, yes please! I need a short vacation. Just even one or two days. Coach McCain is driving me crazy."

Angela giggled. "Is Coach McCain the real coach who drives you crazy? Or is it a certain pairs coach who used to be..."

"Oh stop it, Angela," said Hillary annoyed. "You're stirring up drama when it doesn't exist."

"I saw you two earlier. He seemed he really wanted to talk to you," noted Angela.

"Well, it's his problem then, not mine" Hillary sounded annoyed.

"Okay sure," Angela seemed to be amused in teasing her friend. "He's good looking you know."

"And so is Justin Trudeau," Hillary shot back.

Angela laughed. "Really? Justin is 15. He is still in the junior circuit. He's too young for you."

"Fine. David Miliband is also good looking."

"And he has the hots for you too. Don't let him hear you say that."

Hillary sighed. "I don't need any of them right now. Ange. I need to focus."

As they reached the lockers, Angela held her friend tighter. "I know. So my friendly advice is: bring a bottle of pepper spray wherever you can."

The two girls ended up in fits of laughter.             


End file.
